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Glasgow’s approach to Prostitution and Trafficking

Glasgow’s approach to Prostitution and Trafficking. Ann Hamilton General Manager. Comprehensive view. Violence against women Link with other forms of exploitation Indoor prostitution Pornography/sex shops Table dancing Trafficking National and international context.

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Glasgow’s approach to Prostitution and Trafficking

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  1. Glasgow’s approach to Prostitution and Trafficking Ann Hamilton General Manager

  2. Comprehensive view • Violence against women • Link with other forms of exploitation • Indoor prostitution • Pornography/sex shops • Table dancing • Trafficking • National and international context

  3. Council’s approach to prostitution • Social inclusion/equality issue • Concern for women, families and communities • Strategic • Long term programme of action • Resource allocation • Commitment to challenging attitudes • Optimistic, enlightened and ambitious

  4. Impact on women • Physical harm • Emotional and psychological harm • Stigma and shame • Isolated and scared • Rejected by family/community • Vulnerable to targeting/blackmail • Post traumatic stress

  5. What we know –street prostitution • 1,000-1400 women • 98% serious iv drug users • Experience of abuse, poverty, homelessness • Lost care of children • Activity in City Centre, East End and recently South Side • 60 women receiving £150 a day, men spending £3276,000 per year

  6. What we know - Indoor prostitution • 264,000 men spending at least £6.6 million per year – saunas, flats • Sex industry activity expanding –stag parties, pornography, lap dancing, limos, escorts, ‘take aways’, ‘specialist services’ • Growth in demand for groups of men • Demand for unprotected sex • Demand for foreign women

  7. Glasgow ‘sauna’ website • “Established in 1967” • “The top parlour in Glasgow” • “Security and peace of mind are critical which is why every staff member is bonded” • “35 ladies at any given time, ensuring you a fabulous variety from day to day” • “Choose from Spanish, Italian, Thai, black, white, Russian plus lots, lots more!” (2001)

  8. Why Women Are Trafficked • 5-7 million people a year are moved for “profit” • Annually 600,000-800,000 people, mostly women and children are trafficked across international borders

  9. 2nd largest and fastest growing criminal industry (tied with illegal arms dealing), creating an approx $9 billion annual turnover • Most recent UK research indicates that between 142 and 1420 women have been trafficked for prostitution into the country

  10. Council action on Trafficking • Address issue of trafficking through joint working • Appoint Counter Trafficking Officers • Council objections to sauna and table dancing licence applications • Provide individually designed packages of support to women

  11. The Inter Agency Working Group • Multi Agency strategic forum • Membership includes - Development and Regeneration Services, Social Work Services, Strathclyde Police, NHS Greater Glasgow, Scottish Refugee Council, International Organisation for Migration, Scottish Executive, Women’s Voluntary Sector, Immigration Services, Glasgow Asylum Seekers Project. • Meets bi monthly

  12. Service for women involved in indoor prostitution • Health and medical service • Counter Trafficking Officer provides general social work support to all attendees • Access to safe accommodation, support/counselling, subsistence, legal advice • Gathering of information re indoor prostitution • Emergency contact • Building staff capacity

  13. 3 Stage Trauma Model • Establish Safety – this initial stage focuses on ensuring that women have access to safe accommodation, income maximisation, medical care, and are able to take care of themselves e.g. ensuring women are eating and sleeping properly • Remembrance and Mourning – this secondary stage enables women to work through the impact and trauma of their experiences • Reconnection – this final stage enables women to explore their future by, for example, accessing meaningful employment and/or education.

  14. Men • ‘I would not recommend this place. Most of the girls are foreign- Albanians or whatever, and so obviously do not enjoy what they do. A bit rough.’ • ‘Prostitute murders get a lot of media attention in Scotland, so if you must kill a whore go somewhere else to do it’ • ‘I put the collar round her neck and dragged her round on all fours. She started to cry, but told me later it was because she was so turned on by it. Why not try her lads!!!!!’ • ‘I felt the condom fall off but I just went for it big time’ • She was ‘keen to get things over quickly. This is strictly business and make no mistake’ • ‘Out of her face with drink and could barely speak a word of English’

  15. Women • ‘What gives anyone the right to speak for women in prostitution by saying we should be seen as workers like anyone else. This is not work, it is abuse and it is soul destroying’ • ‘It was hell working for that bastard. Every day we would be insulted by clients, but he would tell us we were lucky not to have to work with the slags on the street. We didn’t feel lucky’ • ‘I became a drug addict because my husband knocked me around. At first I drank, but then they took my kids from me, so I started on heroin. A friend who worked the streets suggested I did the same. It was so easy to start, but feels impossible to stop. I’ve got nothing.’

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